Signs of the End of the Age
Matthew 24:3 “And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what [shall be] the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”
The
Mount of... The
most commanding view of the temple was obtained from this place. Is
a small range of several summits (highest elevation 2,723 feet),
running north-south for two and one half miles. The range overlooks
Jerusalem from the east, across the Kidron Valley. Jesus often went
to the Mount of Olives to teach (Mat. 24:3), to pray (Luke 23:39-40),
and to rest (Luke 21:37).
On the western slope, near the base, is a spot known as the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus agonized in prayer on the night before His crucifixion (Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:32). Jesus fittingly used Olivet to deliver one of His major prophetic discourses (Mat. 24 – 25), since from it He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12), and to it He will return at His second coming (Zec. 14:4).
These disciples had all the things grouped together. One question, when will the temple be destroyed? The physical temple would be destroyed in less than 40 years. The temple of His body would be destroyed in just a few days.
him privately, saying... Luke 21:1-38 spoken publicly. This prophecy was uttered outside the temple on the Mount of Olives (Mat. 24:3), while Luke 21:1-38 was spoken in the temple before He went out (Luke 21:1, 21:27-28).
Tell us, when... Questions 143-144. Next, Mat. 24:45.
shall these things... Three questions asked:
1. When will Jerusalem be destroyed? This question is not answered by Matthew. It is answered in Luke 21:12-24.
2. What will be the sign of Your coming? Answered in Mat. 24:4-26, 24:37-39.
3. What will happen when You come? Answered in Mat. 24:27-31, 24:40-51; 25:1-46.
sign of thy... Twenty-four signs of the second coming:
1. Deceptions (Mat. 24:4-5, 24:11, 24:24)
2. False Christs (Mat. 24:5, 24:23-26)
3. Wars and rumors of wars (Mat. 24:6-7)
4. Famines (Mat. 24:7; Rev. 6:5-6)
5. Pestilences (Mat. 24:7; Rev. 6:8)
6. Earthquakes (Mat. 24:7; Rev. 6:12-17)
7. Anti-semitism (Mat. 24:9; Mark 13:9, 13:13)
8. Offenses (Mat. 24:10; cp. Mat. 18:1-10)
9. Betrayals (Mat. 24:9; Mark 13:12)
10. Hatred (Mat. 24:10; 2Tim. 3:1-9)
11. False prophets (Mat. 24:11, 24:24; Rev. 13:1-18)
12. Lawlessness abounding (Mat. 24:12)
13. Love decreasing (Mat. 24:12-13; 2Tim. 3:1-17)
14. Increased missionary work (Mat. 24:14)
15. Abomination of desolation (Mat. 24:15; Dan. 9:27; 2Thes. 2:4; Rev. 13:1-18)
16. New Jewish nation in Judea (Mat. 24:9, 24:15-26; Eze. 37:1-28; Dan. 9:27)
17. New Jewish temple (Mat. 24:15, 24:26; Rev. 11:1-2; Dan. 8:9-13; 9:27; 11:45; 2Thes. 2:4)
18. Great tribulation of 3 1/2 years (Mat. 24:21; Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:1-19:21)
19. Martyrdoms (Mat. 24:9, 24:22; Dan. 8:24; Rev. 7:9-17; 11:7; 15:2-4; 20:4-6)
20. Flight of Jews from Judea (Mat. 24:16-21; Rev. 12:6, 12:14; Isa. 16:1-5; Psm. 60:4-8; Dan. 11:40-45; Eze. 20:33-38; Hos. 2:14-16)
21. Increased satanic powers (Mat. 24:24; 2Thes. 2:8-12; Rev. 13:1-18; 16:14; 19:20)
22. Surfeiting (Mat. 24:38; Luke 17:28; 21:34)
23. Sex crimes (Mat. 24:38; Luke 17:27)
24. Procrastination and lethargy (Mat. 24:39)
sign of thy... Parousia—Coming
Greek: parousia, personal visible presence or reappearing. Two appearances:
1. Rapture—personal coming in the air (not to the earth) for the saints (1Thes. 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-17; 5:23; 1Cor. 15:23, 15:51-58; 2Thes. 2:1, 2:7-8; Jas. 5:7-8; 1Jhn. 2:28; John 14:1-3)
2. Second coming to earth with His saints to reign (Mat. 24:3, 24:27-51; 25:31-46; Jude 1:14; Rev. 19:11-21; Zec. 14:1-5)
end of the... world Greek: aion, age, a period of time long or short. It refers to the end of this age, as do all the other places where "the end of the world" is used (Mat. 12:32; 13:39-40, 13:49; 24:3; 28:20). This age will end at the second coming (Mat. 24:29-31; 25:31-46; Rev. 19:11-21; Zec. 14:1-5), but the earth and man will continue forever (Gen. 8:22; 9:12; Ecc. 1:4; Psm. 104:5; Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 7:13-14; Rev. 11:15; 21:3-22:5).
(Luke 19:11), records that the disciples still “supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.” The destruction of the temple (verse 2), did not fit the eschatological scheme they envisioned, so they asked for clarification.
Jesus addressed their questions in reverse order, describing the prophetic sign of His coming (actually a series of signs in verses 4-35), and then addressing their question about the timing of these events beginning (in verse 36). When they asked about His coming (Greek, Parousia; literally presence), they did not envision a second coming in the far-off future.
They were speaking of His coming in triumph as Messiah, an event which they no doubt anticipated would occur presently. Even if they were conscious of His approaching death, which He had plainly prophesied to them on repeated occasions, they could not have anticipated His ascension to heaven and the long intervening church age. However, when Jesus used the term Parousia in His discourse, He used it in the technical sense as a reference to His second coming.
Our Lord describes the events which were to mark the consummation of the age, Mat. 24:3.
These two questions prompted the following discussion by Jesus, commonly called the Olivet Discourse (Mat. 24-25). The questions related to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, and the sign of the Lord’s coming and the end of the Age. They have nothing to do with the church, which Jesus said He would build (Mat. 16:18). The church is not present in any sense in chapters 24 and 25. The disciples’ questions related to Jerusalem, Israel, and the Lord’s second coming in glory to establish His kingdom. Actually Matthew did not record Jesus’ answer to the first question, but Luke did (Luke 21:20). The disciples felt that the destruction of Jerusalem, of which Jesus had spoken, would usher in the kingdom. They were thinking, no doubt, of Zec. 14:1-2. (The destruction Jesus referred to in Mat. 23:38 occurred in a.d. 70, a destruction separate from the final one in Zec. 14:1-21.)
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